Learning how to sell is an important business skill that almost everyone can benefit from learning or improving.

Unfortunately, learning how to sell is also something almost everyone would like to avoid, including me!

In order to avoid in-person selling, I started by developing an e-commerce site and in the process found a product line I loved and actually wanted to sell. But I didn’t know the first thing about selling.

Thanks to a little business coaching and a great team at my new company, Beautycounter by Anna Colibri, my skills have greatly improved and I’ve come to find selling exciting.

One reason that learning how to sell is exciting is that selling is all about relationships and relationships add zest to life.

You may still be thinking, “Uh-uh, not me!”

Don’t worry, I thought so, too. Most beginners feel reluctant to get started, but facing and working through these feelings will boost your confidence, help you learn to build better relationships and allow you to provide products and services that matter.

How to Sell

Here are 8 tips for bright and beautiful beginners like you (and me!) that will help you over the selling hurdle:

1. Love your product. There is no way I could sell products in which I didn’t believe or didn’t love. It’s no different for you. So, before you commit to selling, love what you sell.
2. Know your product. Research and study your product and industry. Become an expert. I can’t tell you how much this will build your confidence.
3. Set goals. Don’t say, “I want to sell a lot.” Say: “I am going to sell X units at Y price by Z date.” Mark your calendar. Tell your friends.
4. When it comes to the competition, be polite. Part of knowing your product is knowing the competition. However, if asked to compare, say “I’m sure that company has a lot to offer. Here are reasons A, B and C our product is the best one for you.”
5. Believe in yourself. Selling takes confidence, yes. Remember: You are educating potential customers about products and services that solve problems and provide solutions. How great is that?
6. Ask. Know what you want your potential customers to do and ask them to do it. Believe it or not, people are more likely to do as requested if, in fact, they have been asked!
7. Practice. Write a script and then practice it. You can start by practicing and then move onto the family dog but remember: Practice makes perfect.
8. Start. Practice makes perfect, procrastination makes zero. You can’t win if you don’t play. Need I say more?

In order to be your best selling self, reading books, watching videos or attending trainings about how to sell is amazingly helpful and confidence-building.

I sell a wonderful line of safe and healthy beauty products for Beautycounter. Surrounding myself with a smart, generous and enthusiastic sales team has made all the difference for me and I encourage you to surround yourself with people who care about your products and mission as much as you do.

Remember: You don’t have to be perfect, you just have to believe in your products — and get started!

Your Turn

Have any tips for beginners about how to sell? Let us know in the comments.